April snowfall welcome; snowpack remains well below average

JIM RYDBOM/jrydbom@greeleytribune.com
A snow plow clears a patch of road along Colo. 392 just outside of Windsor on Monday morning. Numerous accidents are occurring around Weld County but no serious injuries are being reported, according to the Weld County Sheriff’s Office.

JIM RYDBOM/jrydbom@greeleytribune.com
A bicyclist braves the cold temperatures and snow while riding along 10th Avenue on Monday morning. Another Monday storm hit the area causing minor traffic accidents and delays.

JIM RYDBOM/jrydbom@greeleytribune.com
Members of the Evans Fire Department work to clean up a two vehicle accident at 23rd Avenue and 32nd Street in Evans on Monday afternoon. The accident is under investigation if it was caused by weather conditions or driver error. No serious injuries were reported.

JIM RYDBOM/jrydbom@greeleytribune.com
Heavy snow continues to fall as a University of Northern Colorado student makes his way across campus on Monday morning. Snow is expected to continue until Wednesday.

Related Media

April showers bring May flowers, along with green lawns and happier farmers, according to experts watching Monday’s non-stop snowfall.

As of 6:30 p.m., Greeley had received 5.5 inches of snow.

By mid-afternoon Monday, Windsor had received 7.3 inches of snow, according the National Weather Service, while spots in southern Weld County, such as Frederick, had received 8 inches. There was a possibility of 3-7 more inches overnight, and the snow shows no sign of stopping, with 1-3 inches expected today and Wednesday.

Brian Werner, spokesman for the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District in Berthoud, said there’s nothing better for agriculture — and residents — than April snow. He said because the snow is wet, it boosts reservoirs and creates early runoff before the snowpack melts.

“The longer and the more you can store water in a reservoir, the better off you are further down the year,” Werner said.

April’s snowstorms have given a boost to snowpack figures across Colorado. Both agricultural and municipal water users depend heavily on winter and spring snowpack in the mountains each year to provide runoff that fills reservoirs, rivers and irrigation ditches.

Snowpack in the South Platte River basin, which includes Weld County, has increased from 69 percent of historic average on April 1, to 76 percent of average on Monday, according to the Colorado SNOTEL Snowpack Update Map.

The Colorado River basin — from which the northern Front Range diverts much of its water — has seen the largest increase in snowpack this month among the state’s eight basins. It grew by more than 10 percent.

“They’re still below average, but they’re headed in the right direction,” Werner said.

Last year, the snowpack started melting in mid-March and was pretty much gone by mid-April, Werner said. The fact that there’s still snow and we’re getting more precipitation means things are looking up for water-users, he said.

Even so, “We’re still well below average,” he said. “Our runoff estimates are in the 40-percent-below-normal range. We’re still gong to be significantly below normal unless it does this for the next month or so.”

Farmers welcome the moisture, but colder-than-normal temperatures might pose some problems as growers get ready to plant sugar beets, corn and other crops, said Bruce Bosley, Colorado State University Extension crop specialist for northeast Colorado.

Since the ground is cold, seeds won’t sprout quickly, which makes them more susceptible to bacteria, Bosley said.

“You like to be able to put it in the warm ground and just have it pop up,” he said.

The snowfall also delays planting, but Bosley said we’re not likely to hear growers complaining.

“I think most farmers and ranchers will say, ‘We’ll take anything we can get,’ because it adds to moisture levels,” Bosley said.

The relentless flurries proved to be more of a problem for drivers on county roads.

Reams said the most notable crash involved an oil tanker that flipped onto its side northwest of Eaton at Weld County roads 76 and 31. There were no injuries, and the crash was handled without any problems, Reams said.

Reams said as temperatures drop and snow continues to fall, drivers should take extra precautions, especially in the northern part of the county.

Travelers planning to fly out of Denver International Airport today should also expect delays, as planes will have to go through de-icing. The airport recommends that passengers call ahead to make sure their flights are on schedule.

The cold and wet weather is expected to hang around for a couple more days. Meteorologists say temperatures will only reach the mid-30s today and snow showers will continue through Wednesday, with the heaviest snows falling on the northern Front Range, foothills and mountains.